Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Technology May Halt the High-Speed Chase (OnStar can stop your car REMOTELY)
Newsfactor ^ | Dec. 12, 2008 | Larry Copeland

Posted on 12/13/2008 10:16:55 AM PST by FocusNexus

OnStar, the unit behind General Motors' GPS-based in-vehicle security system, offers Stolen Vehicle Slowdown technology: An OnStar operator can send a signal to a vehicle, restricting its fuel and slowing it to 3-5 mph. The technology is available on about 1 million 2009 GM vehicles, OnStar spokesman Jim Kobus says.

Another company, Virginia Beach-based StarChase, is field-testing its Pursuit Management System. It's a launcher on the front of a police car that fires projectiles that stick on a fleeing vehicle targeted by laser, enabling police to track it by GPS.

The system, which has been tested by police in Columbus, Ohio, and Suffolk County, N.Y., is in final testing by the Los Angeles police, StarChase spokeswoman Mandy McCall says. "That kind of technology is exactly what we need," says Geoff Alpert, a criminology professor at the University of South Carolina. "One of the most powerful tools the police have is to turn off their lights and siren because the pursued suspect will slow down."

(Excerpt) Read more at newsfactor.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Extended News; Government
KEYWORDS: bigbrother; carchase; cars; crime; generalmotors; governmentcontrol; gps; leo; onstar; police; privacy; remotecontrol; satellites; technology
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-85 next last
I saw this on FoxNews, but couldn't find it on their website. They talked with an OnStar representative, who said that they actually have the technology now to track and slow down cars that have OnStar. They said that the way they would use it, is that after the owner calls that their car was stolen, then OnStar would notify the police, and when police has the car in sight, they would let OnStar know, then OnStar would slow it down, regardless of what the driver does.

The problem with this is obvious. As OnStar tracks your car, the police, government whoever can either direct them officially to release where have you been coming and going, and to top it off, can slow you down to almost stop - or corrupt government officials can pay off some OnStar employee to track someone's car.

The second approach, StarChase, where the police could fire something that would stick to the vehicle, so they can track it, makes sense. This is mentioned in this article. but was not mentioned on FoxNews, but that makes sense, focus on the criminals, not the innocent people.

1 posted on 12/13/2008 10:16:56 AM PST by FocusNexus
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: FocusNexus

Great. Another reason for some people not to buy GM. /sarc


2 posted on 12/13/2008 10:20:13 AM PST by Dahoser (America's great untapped alternative energy source: The Founding Fathers spinning in their graves.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: FocusNexus

In a related item, Fox News also announced the premier of “The Best of Last Week’s News”
To be broadcast 15 to 20 hours per week, whenever, as needed.


3 posted on 12/13/2008 10:22:03 AM PST by Bunkasaurus
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Dahoser

Sod off GM!No more Big Brother Mobiles for me,


4 posted on 12/13/2008 10:22:52 AM PST by redstateconfidential (" An American Idol President")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: FocusNexus

Will they be getting warrants to get Onstar to interfere? If not, unconstitutional.


5 posted on 12/13/2008 10:23:56 AM PST by mysterio
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: FocusNexus

I can see this causing accidents.


6 posted on 12/13/2008 10:24:31 AM PST by BlessedBeGod
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Dahoser

“Great. Another reason for some people not to buy GM. /sarc”

And another reason to let GM go bankrupt.

Older cars will become more valuable, as soon it will be impossible to avoid these kinds of privacy-invading gagets on new cars.

One other thing, in addition to the invasion of privacy, what if the system malfunctions, unexpectedly slows the car down, which will result in an accident. You could get killed on a freeway suddenly slowing down — cars could pile into you in seconds, since nobody expects someone in front of them to slow down to 3-5 miles per hour for no visible reason.


7 posted on 12/13/2008 10:25:20 AM PST by FocusNexus
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: FocusNexus

I was driving a GM Saturn product from Phoenix to Yuma, AZ. The speed limit on I10 is 75mph. After driving three hours at the speed limit, I passed a truck that was spewing particles from its bin. When I passed 80mph, OnStar phoned me to tell me I was speeding. LOL, safety first. Driver’s good move, second.


8 posted on 12/13/2008 10:26:35 AM PST by Zuben Elgenubi
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: BlessedBeGod

Most high speed chases result in accidents. This can control the high speed factor.


9 posted on 12/13/2008 10:27:33 AM PST by B4Ranch ( Veterans: "There is no expiration date on our oath, to protect America from all enemies, ...")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: mysterio

“Will they be getting warrants to get Onstar to interfere? If not, unconstitutional.”

The current plan, as described, is that they will use it only AFTER the car is reported stolen, so whoever has it, is in process of committing a crime, so the police has the right to stop them.

BUT... the implications for other uses is obvious.

Also, I bet most car chases do not involve stolen cars.


10 posted on 12/13/2008 10:28:10 AM PST by FocusNexus
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: FocusNexus
Why don't the forces of the dark side just get on with the brain implants , that allow not only for tracking , but behavior control and if needed , Ctrl-Alt-Delete of non- conforming subjects .
11 posted on 12/13/2008 10:28:52 AM PST by kbennkc (For those who have fought for it freedom has a flavor the protected will never know F/8 Cav)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: FocusNexus

I disconnected mine, wired in a out of the blue circuit that any attempt to steal my Silverado it will die immediately when you apply the brake.

At the very I would have a discrete switch for the Onstar microphone, it has been used to listen in on a drug deal once.


12 posted on 12/13/2008 10:29:08 AM PST by Eye of Unk (Americans should lead America, its the right way.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Zuben Elgenubi

Did you tell onstar mind their own damn business?


13 posted on 12/13/2008 10:29:40 AM PST by clamper1797 (BHO ... the 'H" stands for hubris)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: FocusNexus
Does Cuba have any 1950s cars to sell? The benefits of recovering a stolen car because it has OnStar is tiny compared to the potential misuse by the government. OnStar is a big negative for me.
14 posted on 12/13/2008 10:29:49 AM PST by KarlInOhio (11/4: The revolutionary socialists beat the Fabian ones. Where can we find a capitalist party?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: FocusNexus
OnStar can stop your car REMOTELY

OnStar cannot stop my car at all.

15 posted on 12/13/2008 10:30:18 AM PST by Petronski (For the next few years, Gethsemane will not be marginal. We will know that garden. -- Cdl. Stafford)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Zuben Elgenubi

“When I passed 80mph, OnStar phoned me to tell me I was speeding. LOL, safety first. Driver’s good move, second.”

Is this for real? It really happened to you?

If so, it’s awful. I suppose you should be glad OnStar didn’t call the police on you.


16 posted on 12/13/2008 10:31:05 AM PST by FocusNexus
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: kbennkc

“Why don’t the forces of the dark side just get on with the brain implants , that allow not only for tracking , but behavior control and if needed , Ctrl-Alt-Delete of non- conforming subjects .”

How did you know? It’s part of Obama’s “change”. (/sarc — but not as far in the future, as one would think.)

I saw they are already using chips to track people, they aren’t putting them into the brain...YET.

FoxNews had a special, I only caugh part of it, that they have chips that can be implanted, then used as “badges” for entry/exit, AND can have your personal data, including medical history, which can be read by a device within a certain distance and it will all pop up on a computer.


17 posted on 12/13/2008 10:36:13 AM PST by FocusNexus
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: Dahoser

+1. I’ll just hang on to my 17-year-old import until it rusts in half.


18 posted on 12/13/2008 10:36:50 AM PST by ZirconEncrustedTweezers (God helps those who help themselves. The government helps those who don't.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: clamper1797

I did.


19 posted on 12/13/2008 10:37:56 AM PST by Zuben Elgenubi
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: FocusNexus

...except for super-nerds, who will be effectively invincible in the future.


20 posted on 12/13/2008 10:40:04 AM PST by familyop (cbt. engr. (cbt), NG, '89-'96, Duncan Hunter or no-vote, http://falconparty.com/)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-85 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson